MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — Manchester United secured their spot in the upcoming Champions League with an impressive 4-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Requiring only a single point to ensure a top-four finish in the current Premier League season and secure a place in the group stage of Europe's premier tournament in 2023/24, United wasted no time in taking control of the match. Casemiro's opening header after a mere six minutes at Stamford Bridge set the tone for their commanding performance, and they never relinquished their advantage.
Chelsea's season has been demoralizing, but they showcased a strong performance in the first half, dominating possession and creating a couple of scoring opportunities, with Conor Gallagher missing the best chance.
However, Frank Lampard's youthful team found themselves trailing 2-0 just before halftime, as Anthony Martial capitalized on Jadon Sancho's assist, shifting the momentum firmly in United's favor.
Bruno Fernandes, who had previously struck the crossbar, extended the lead to 3-0 from the penalty spot, and Marcus Rashford sealed the deal with his 30th goal of the season from close range. Joao Felix managed to score a splendid consolation goal for the Blues, who currently reside in 12th place in the standings and eagerly await the conclusion of this campaign.
Man United vs Chelsea final score
| Final | Goal scorers | |
| Man U | 4 | Casemiro, Martial, Fernandes (p), Rashford |
| Chelsea | 1 | Felix |
Lineups:
Chelsea (4-3-3, right to left): Kepa (GK) — Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Fofana, Hall — Gallagher (D. Fofana), Fernandez, Chukwuemeka (Loftus-Cheek) — Madueke (Ziyech), Havertz (Felix), Mudryk (Pulisic)
Man United turn on the style in tribute to Ten Hag's work
For a significant portion of this season, and particularly in recent months, Manchester United has developed a tendency to win games by narrower margins than they should. While their defense has generally been solid, as evidenced by David de Gea's impressive tally of 17 clean sheets and counting, Ten Hag has frequently been frustrated by his team's inability to put matches to bed.
However, today was a different story.
United concluded the game with an expected goal tally of 5.14, the highest recorded by any team in a single Premier League match this season (according to Opta data). They realistically should have scored at least two more goals than they did, as several promising attacks faltered before a shot could be taken. Nonetheless, this performance represents a promising stride forward in Ten Hag's project.
Furthermore, it ensured that they wouldn't have to cling onto a single point to secure a top-four finish. After a grueling and challenging race, they crossed the finish line with determination and strength.
Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) May 25, 2023
A resounding victory sees Erik ten Hag's side confirm their place in next season's UEFA Champions League.
Their overall xG of 5.14 is the biggest by a side in a single Premier League game this season. pic.twitter.com/cMVO6oPCQC
Antony injury sours Man United celebrations
The only major downside to United's evening was the loss of Antony to injury in the first half. Trevoh Chalobah's challenge was fair — indeed, it was not reckless at all — but it clearly did damage to United's Brazilian. After trying to put weight on his right ankle, Antony sank back to the turf, his head in his hands, and was taken off on a stretcher.
It meant Rashford got an earlier return from illness and injury than perhaps was planned, and the England star marked it with a well-taken goal — his this season 30th in all competitions, the most of any United player since Robin van Persie a decade ago — but losing Antony so close to the FA Cup final would be a real disappointment for Ten Hag.
Man United understand Chelsea troubles only too well
Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said on Sky Sports that there is "a big, big job to be done" after the Blues' worst season in the Premier League era.
With a game left, they are just 12 points above the relegation places and a massive 27 adrift of the top four. They cannot finish in the top 10 and can only get a maximum of 46 points, both of which represent record low points for the club in this competition.
They actually enjoyed one of their better first-half performances here and should have equalised through Gallagher shortly before Martial doubled United's lead, but their efforts after the break bordered on wretched at times.
The boisterous United fans watching on may have been reminded of this time a year ago, when the Red Devils were going through the motions under an interim manager at the end of a season in which they set records for all the wrong reasons.
There is quality in this Chelsea squad — so there should be, given it cost upwards of $700 million — but Mauricio Pochettino, if he is indeed to be their new manager, has got a huge task to mould it into a coherent football team.
He need only look at Ten Hag's work to see how that can be done.
Man United vs Chelsea lineups, team news
United's injury list remains largely unchanged ahead of this fixture, with Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer and Donny van de Beek out for the season. England star Marcus Rashford has recovered from illness but remains on the bench, with Anthony Martial leading the line in an unchanged starting lineup from the win at Bournemouth.
Man United lineup (4-2-3-1): De Gea (GK) — Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Varane, Shaw — Eriksen, Casemiro — Antony, Fernandes, Sancho — Martial
Man United subs: Butland (GK), Maguire, Rashford, Malacia, Fred, Dalot, Weghorst, McTominay, Garnacho
Lampard's injury picture continues to worsen, with Benoit Badiashile, N'Golo Kante and Reece James out until next season, and Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and Ben Chilwell missing this game.
Chelsea lineup (4-3-3): Kepa (GK) — Azpilicueta, Chalobah, W. Fofana, Hall — Gallagher, Fernandez, Chukwuemeka — Madueke, Havertz, Mudryk
Chelsea subs: Mendy (GK), Silva, Pulisic, Felix, Loftus-Cheek, Ziyech, Koulibaly, D. Fofana, Gilchrist
Man United vs Chelsea live stream, TV channel
| Date | Time | TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | May 25 | 3 p.m. EDT | — | Peacock |
| Canada | May 25 | 3 p.m. EDT | — | Fubo |
| UK | May 25 | 8 p.m. BST | Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event | Sky GO |
| India | May 26 | 12.30 a.m. IST | — | Hotstar VIP, JioTV |
| Australia | May 26 | 5 a.m. AEST | — | Optus Sport |
| New Zealand | May 26 | 7 a.m. NZST | — | Sky Sport NOW, Sky Go NZ |
| Hong Kong | May 26 | 3a.m. HKT | Now Premier League (Ch. 620-621) | Now E, Now Player |
| Malaysia | May 26 | 3 a.m. MYT | Astro Supersport 3 | Astro Go, sooka |
| Singapore | May 26 | 3 a.m. SGT | HUB Sports 1 | StarHub TV+ |
USA: This match will be streamed on Peacock.
Canada: Every Premier League game streams live in Canada on Fubo.
UK: The match will be broadcast live in the UK via Sky Sports' TV and streaming services.
Australia: Optus Sport is the exclusive broadcaster of Premier League football in Australia with live and on-demand coverage